Okay so I wanted to do an update to the original blog that I wrote over a year ago about my favorite hair products. The products I'm using and the things that I'm doing have drastically changed! Everyone is always asking me about what I do and what do I use! So here it goes!
So over the years I've done so much to my hair. I bleached it on my own to go pink (see previous blogs for how too!), then I colored it black to cover up the pink. A few months later I colored over the faded black to make it red, then I went from a faded red/brown to blonde in 2 sittings. From there I had to go to my natural color of a dark chocolate brown because of how damaged my hair was by this time. The blonde, while lovely, really did a number on my beautiful hair. At the time my hair was past my shoulders but not quite to the middle of my back and in order to get it healthy I had to cut it up to my shoulders.
This picture was taken towards the beginning of December of 2014 after having it colored brown and cutting off all the dead hair to get it healthy again. From there I started researching different products that I could use to help get my hair healthy again but I didn't want to spend a fortune. Now I still stand by the products in my last blog but those were more just products I recommend, I wasn't using all of them at that time. I also want to remind everyone that hair is different, what works for me might not work for everyone but don't be afraid to try something new until you find what works for you!!
This is what my hair looks like now! The picture on the left (or on top) was before I colored it, I went a few weeks shy of a year without coloring and the picture really shows how long it got. From the front it doesn't seem like that long but it is actually about an inch (maybe a few more) past the middle of my back. The picture on the right (or the one on the bottom) was taken at the beginning of December, just about a year after the first image in this post.
What have I used to keep my hair healthy?
There are several different things that I use and things I do to help keep my hair healthy. First and foremost I don't wash my hair every day. I wash my hair at most 3 times a week and when I shower I just pull my hair up to keep it dry. Washing your hair every day not only strips your hair of its natural oils that it needs but it can also dry out your scalp causing dandruff. Now some women have the ability to go longer without washing but I have oily hair and really can't go more than 3 days a week without washing it. Something else I started doing a long time ago was stopped using things like hair spray and gel. I almost never use hair spray unless it is for a special occasion or I'm doing something special to my hair like fancy curls. I also don't believe in "heat protection" when I'm flat ironing my hair. Every time I've ever tried it my hair just feels dry or it ends up really greasy. I know, I know queue the large gasps of horror but honestly...I've never had damage from my flat iron or my blow dryer. This might sound strange but I also play with my hair A LOT. I not only brush my scalp a lot but message my scalp as often as possible. Not only is it relaxing but I read some where that it helps circulation and therefore helps your hair grow. I can't prove that this is true but this is just something that I do and I like to think it helps!
1. Coconut Oil - I have always heard so many good things about coconut oil but never really tried it until back in July. This has been one of the best things I've used in my hair recently but I can't even really tell you why. What I can tell you is that after a treatment my hair is shiny, soft, manageable, less frizzy, and just all around really amazing. I can also tell you that the coconut oil helps with my dandruff and helps keep my head from being itchy between washes. I do want to try a different type of coconut oil to see if the results are different but for right now I'm just using pure, virgin coconut oil from out of the grocery section. You can get a big jar of it for less than $10 and the process is really simple. The coconut oil will be solid when you open it but it will melt with just the heat of your hand. Just rub it through your hair and work it in to the hair and scalp really well. I tend to just soak mine really good to make sure it can soak up as much as it needs. This will drip down your neck so make sure to wear a shirt you don't care about and don't lean up against anything. Leave on your hair for as long as you want, there is no wrong amount of time! I leave mine for at least an hour but if I had the time I'd probably just leave it on all day! When you're ready, just wash it out! You may need to shampoo it twice to make sure you get all the oil out. I have heard some people heat the oil first then put it in their hair. I haven't tried this but I can't imagine it would be bad. Heat will open the hair follicles and help it soak in more so don't be afraid to try adding a little heat. *Heat with caution, you're putting oil in your hair after all*
This is the oil that I'm currently using. I have heard that using pure, organic, virgin Coconut oil is best but I figure coconut oil is all the same and were on a budget here. This size bottle will cost you about $7 at Wal-Mart and will last for a while if you don't do frequent treatments. I'm about half way through and have been using it for about a month with once a week treatments. There is no wrong answer with this product, if you want to do a treatment every other day you can. Just make sure you're washing your hair really well or your hair WILL be greasy. The product also has no smell so if you don't like the smell of coconut oil that's okay!
2. OGX Coconut Milk - I never really took the OGX products seriously. I always figured they were just a subpar product that was over priced. Boy was I wrong! Their coconut Milk serum is amazing! I put this in my towel dried hair after every wash and if I know I'll be wearing it up I'll put a little in to just boost my hair and help with fly away hairs. This product does smell like coconut but it isn't overwhelming. It is an oil base so you don't want to put too much in your hair (always start with less and add more if you need too) or it will be oily. It will also make your hair feel a little funny when it is wet but when it is dry it will make it feel SO soft! It also really does help with breakage and helps keep frizz out. I think this bottle is about 4 oz and will run you about $6 but even with my long, thick, curly hair it will last me at least 3-4 months. You don't want to try and use this when your hair is dry unless it is just a tiny, tiny amount. Now, if I know my hair is going in a bun I will through some of this in my hair because in my mind it helps my hair so why not? Doing this also helps with fly away hairs that you would normally spray with hair spray.
3. OGX Shampoo and Conditioner - There are 3 different ones that I have tried so far. I did try their Brazilian Keratin one and while it smelled really good, I didn't really care for it. It just didn't make my hair feel how I wanted. To me it almost felt dry but I would still say give it a try. I am currently using their Keratin Oil one and I like it well enough to keep using it but it still falls into a second place. The keratin oil still makes my hair feel soft and has helped to keep my frizz down. My all time favorite shampoo and conditioner by OGX is easily the Awapuhi Ginger. This stuff is AMAZING!! My hair was easier to brush out, felt like silk, and straightened so perfectly. The only reason I'm not currently using it is because I can't currently find it in big bottles! The shampoo does have this weird consistency, almost like a putty but it lathers up really well. I would recommend putting a small amount in your hand and working it almost into a lather before putting it on your hair. This product won't just soak into your hair like other shampoo, it will slid off if you have too much before working it into a lather. The conditioner is also really thick but it coats the hair really well! Each bottle will run you about $6 but sometimes you can find their big bottles for the same price, and I definitely recommend getting the bigger bottles if possible. I am also interested in trying a couple of their other shampoos like their Vitamin E and B-5. Both of theses vitamins do AMAZING things for your hair!
3. Vitamins - Now I'm not talking about a supplement you can take, I'm talking about a liquid oil that you can put in your hair. For a while I was mixing Vitamin E oil with my coconut milk but I started noticing the other day for some reason that the mixture had started to smell a little weird, not really sure what that is all about. Vitamin E however has several really good uses (like coconut oil!) so I would highly recommend finding a way to get it into your hair, even if it is just a treatment that you do maybe once a week or maybe add a little bit to your hair when you wash it. I also think you could mix a little scented oil and be okay. The bottle that I was using for my mixture had the remnants of peppermint oil and I think the smell just wore out. I really loved the mixture of coconut milk and vitamin E! So I would say just find a scent that you like and get to mixing!
I think this one is what I was actually using but any liquid Vitamin E should do just fine. Vitamin E also has other really great uses like for scars and rough skin! This will cost probably about $6 but will last for a really long time since you're mixing it with the coconut milk.
4. Keratin Conditioner - I found this mask or deep conditioner at Wal-Mart that seems to be really great on my hair though I really only use it now after I color my hair. I haven't found a cheap product that compares to the Its a 10 with Keratin but this seems to be okay for now. It does make my hair feel pretty soft and helps make the strands a little strong to keep them from breaking. I've also noticed that it is easier to brush out my hair after using it. The only place I have found it so far is at Wal-Mart for $1.77. I'm sure you could use this as often as you wanted, I just don't have time to deep condition my hair every single time I wash.
What did I use to color my hair?
If you take a look at my previous blogs I have gone over what I prefer to use when bleaching and what I used to get my hair pink. However, after spending a year getting my hair healthy again after being blonde, I naturally didn't want to bleach it to go magenta again. I also had to be careful that I didn't got too pink because I work in a professional setting and pink hair would be frowned upon.
I have used this product in the past in "red" and the result was really good so I thought I would give it another try but in magenta this time. This product does not require pre-bleaching if you have dark hair and that to me was the goal. The product is a cream color so it is really thick but it has a really nice coverage. I don't recommend using this in a closed area as it does have a very strong smell and it will make you sick. The product lightens and deposits the color all in one go so it is also really nice if you're crunched for time. Now when looking up the product I have seen SEVERAL different results (see pictures below that are not me!) so it is hard for me to tell you exactly what it will look like.
As you can see both of these girls had very different results and it looks like one was taken outside. I think if you have really dark hair, the result will be a little darker. If you have lighter hair you will probably get something that is more of a brighter pink.
This picture has no filter, was taken about 3-4 days after I colored it and under a florescent light. I'm not sure what will happen will I recolor it in a couple of days if it will come out lighter. I may have to throw in some red to tone down the pink a little. I will say this...red/pink/magenta hair is the hardest color to keep. It will fade out every time you wash it and bleed onto anything when your hair is wet. I haven't found a way to keep the color yet but I can say that washing in cool water and using sulfate free shampoo/conditioner will help! From what I know the OGX products are sulfate free. I will have to do another blog later on if I can figure out how to keep the color vibrant between colorings.
But that is it! That is the big secret to my hair color and how I have gotten my hair to grow!! If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment!!
